The Portland daily press., 1887-05-28
SCORE OF THE SALOONS.
Story of the Murder of the Young
Prohibition Editor Of Mississippi.

The story of the killing Of Gambrell the
Prohibition editor of jackson, Miss, has
been told by man who was in Jackson at
the time, Col. r. S. Cheves, who has recently
arrived in New York. Col. Cheves says:
The slaughter of poor Gambrell was as
cowardly, cold-blooded and contemplate an
assassination as ever was heard of in this
country. Its immediate cause was the pub
LEGATION in the Sword aud Shield ten days be-
fore, of an editorial article. During the ten
days that passed Hamilton had ample oppor-
tunity to challenge Gambrell or to attack him
upon fair conditions as he went to and from
his Office three times every day, passing
Hamilton time and again. But Hamilton
made no aggressive move at all. On the con-
trary, three days before the attack he sent
to Gambrell representative lawyer of Jack
son NOW Of course. for the defense) to say
that it was his desire that there should be no
further trouble, and that the matter should
be dropped GamDrell accepted the message
in good faith Events prove that the message
was sent only to throw the editor off his
guard. Thursday afternoon, May 3, Gambrell
went down to Clinton, leaving home full of
fun; his friends say they never saw him in
happier frame of mind. He was to return
on the 10 o'clock train. Before the train was
due Hamilton rode to the depot in his carri-
age, and asked the station agent if Gambrell
had gone to Clinton and would return on the
10 o'clock train. Then he waited, sitting in
his carriage, until the train came in. lie saw
Gambrell alight and pass down the street,
and was heard to remark, here goes the
dog nowP After his enemy had walked some
distance Hamilton, with his party of three
besides the driver, rode in pursuit of him.
overlook him on the bridge, and there, un
provoked and without warning, shot him
down, surrounded him, and fired ball after
ball at his PROSTATE form. This was not
devilish enough, for one of the party stopped
over the dying man and hammered his skull
This was evidently done to dispatch his lin
gering consciousness so that hecOuld not tell
the story of the assault before he died.
Hamilton had at least once before attemp-
ted the assassination Of Gambeil. During
the Kinds County prohibition fight he, with
several others, went to the office of The
Sword and Shield, intending to kill the youth
but finding several other gentlemen present
they retired. The plot agreed on at that time
was laid in q saloon. and a woman who was
in an adjoining room of the saloon and over
heard HamiltoRand others planning the de-
| tails testified to the fact.
LET me tellyou, AZ took courage, heroic
courage, for that young editor to stand up
and expose the villainies Of man like Ham,
| ilton, rich, powerful, having enormous pres
| tige, and backed by the Governor. There
| was not another man in Mississippi who
| would have done it. The source Of the at
| tack made it all the more keenly felt by Ham
| ilton. How it must have ranked in his heart
| to be thus shown up in his, nakedness by q
| young man without money or position, or
anything but clean, pure, disinterested and
| lofty m0tiveP
The jackson Telegram, newspaper pub.
| lished in this city where the murder took
place: corroborates Col Cheye's statement
| The Telegram says
Gambrell was just of age when he began the
publication OF his paper here fifteen months ago
| 1t was soon made the State Prohibition organ
When he came here there were twenty saloons IN
| the city and as many more in the county. He be
| gan at once an untirng, relentless and bitter wal
on the saloon, and became principal in severa
| State they are required to give to keep orderl.
houses. In the meantime the Legislature had
passed a local option law allowing each county Z
/ be sold. Such an election was ordered through
the influence OF Gambrell and his followers. Their
followed for three weeks during last August tht
most exciting canvass In the annals of the State
| Gambrelrs paper poured hot shot into the anti
| Prehibitionists in every issue. Colonel Jones
the iessees Of the penitentiary Tor several years
w the conyictS were let TO the Gun anu onil
island Railroad Company, whose GeneIal Mana
| ger he now Is, was looked upon as tne antlfrom
bition leader Of this county during that campaign
| being CHAIRMAN of the Central Clup OF TINS cit.
and the supposed editor of campaign paper cali
during that campaign and which replied to tn
shots'of the Sword and Shield, the PronlDltiOn oil
gan, with the hottest kind Of ammunition. ~.
| ibis CITY went wet by three 10 one, out the frc
hibitionists carried the county by 1000 majority
ana there Is not now place in the county wner'
h eqs - spIa. nnls antagonism Detwsen S Ian
prell and Hamilton became of the strongest kino
In addition TO attacking Hamilton as whlsk
man, an unrelentless was was made upon him as
Gambren was good writer, and his articles wer
very singing.